Bernie, Episode 3: The Storm Awakens

Enough about Herself – let’s work for Bernie!

I’ve decided top stop criticizing Bernie Sanders’ principal opponent. It’s not very positive or helpful. So we’ll just forget that she said she’d shutter Iowa’s underperforming schools, or that “we must balance liberty with security,” or that she “landed under sniper fire” in Bosnia, or that a majority of Americans don’t trust her. I keep thinking, in time, if she keeps putting her foot in her mouth and people actually pay attention and take her at her word, she’ll self-destruct on her own. But I’m not counting on it. She still has a sturdy lead in the Iowa polls. Of course, crazy things do happen in caucuses – as you can see here from 2008 when supporters of Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Dodd, and Biden were all in a high school gym together, slugging it out –

Iowa Caucuses, 2008

But this is 2016, and it’s Maine, where everything makes pretty good sense, including how many hundreds of Bernie bumper stickers we’ve seen here in Knox County as opposed to a whopping miserable lonely one sticker for his principal opponent. Knox County could be Bernie’s “Storm Central” in Maine – if you decide to show up and make a difference. Here’a starter kit –

Caucusing for the Storm

I spoke this morning with Jeremy Kennedy, Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party, to find out more about the upcoming March 6 caucuses (I keep wanting to write cauci as the plural, having learned far too much Latin in my misspent youth). Here’s what he told me:

Democratic caucuses are still taking shape. Not every town is slated to have one. But it’s Kennedy’s hope, come March 6, as many towns as possible will be holding caucuses.

But for a town to have a caucus, it needs a chairperson or a convener. That could be you, if you don’t mind wrangling a crowd of disorganized people and learning the ins and outs of the state Democratic Party caucus rules.

When the caucuses end, delegates will be chosen (based on caucus results) to go to the state Democratic Convention in Portland, in May.

The key, go-to person for Democrats in Knox County is county party chairman Bruce Hodsdon of Port Clyde (email: brucehodsdon@gmail.com). Their January meeting is at 7 PM this Tuesday, January 12, at the Stella Maris House in Rockland, with the top agenda item being the Maine Democratic Municipal Caucuses – specifically for Knox County.

Registering as a Democrat

If you’re not already registered in one of Maine’s three official parties (Republican, Democrat, and Green), you are unenrolled. Fine, no problem, you can register as a Democrat anytime on or before March 6 to go to your Democratic caucus.

If you’re Green or Republican and want to help Bernie, you must change your registration15 days before March 6.